Articles : Living the Story
May 13 issue
-
Yoder-Short
A plot of history
While I was pruning my grapes, the soil around them begged to be noticed. I felt a tinge of discomfort. I blamed it on a committee assignment for us to consider whose land our church was built on.
The land of my grapes is my land, not for generations but for 15 years. It has a rich and holy history. We bought it from plain-dressing church people. Much earlier, Christian Warey, 1884 founder of Union Mennonite Church, lived in the oldest section of the house.
April 1 issue
-
Distorted devotion to God
Imagine a movie, an action thriller. The lead character, the son of a prostitute, is run out of town by his half-brothers and flees to a neighboring country where he gains fame as a skilled outlaw. When the leaders from his homeland seek his help in a brutal war, he shrewdly negotiates. If he wins the battle he’ll be head of Gilead, his homeland.
Feb. 18 issue
-
Thinking big, biblically
“But I did it right. How can my answer be wrong? I used the correct formula. I plugged in the right numbers.”
Jan. 7 issue
-
Make room for Hellenists
The sounds of murmuring and complaining percolate from the corners of the fellowship hall. The contented speak the deeply rooted lingo of the local culture. This area has been their home for generations. They belong and sometimes fail to notice “others.”
Nov. 26, 2012 issue
-
Hiding in plain sight
It was a normal Sunday until my dad’s aunt and uncle pulled into the driveway unannounced. Since they were of the non-television persuasion, we quickly shut off the new TV and covered it with a pretty dresser scarf. Everyone settled into visiting, and no one mentioned the not-so-hidden box of worldliness.
Oct. 15, 2012 issue
-
One voice or many?
We came together, and everyone brought something: tomatoes, onions, garlic, or a recipe, all for making salsa. Chaos ensued. Do we chop garlic or squeeze it with a press? Do we add sugar? Do we cook the tomatoes and then squeegee, or squeegee them raw? Do we add canned paste?
Sept. 3, 2012 issue
-
Praying for rain and understanding
Here in the parched Midwest, praying for rain became a familiar summer tune. Humans have long prayed for rain, but with our modern knowledge of meteorology, praying for rain can become a wrestling match. We struggle knowing it takes updrafts, low pressure zones and certain ocean currents for rain to happen in particular places. To our scientific minds, praying for rain can sound somewhat foolish.
July 23, 2012 issue
-
Old recipe or new?
The well-tested recipe for Amish pickles had been widely accepted as simply delicious. Actually, its superior outcome relied more on tasting than the exact measuring of ingredients. Then along came glossy packets with pleasing seasonings that produced amazing pickles. The old recipe began to seem tedious and out of date. After all, it was an Amish recipe, and we know Amish oppress women, making them wear long, uncomfortable dresses.
June 11, 2012 issue
-
The three ‘B’s
When it comes to your faith journey, which of the three “B”s came first — believing, behaving or belonging?
April 30, 2012 issue
-
Not getting all you can
I saw a muzzled ox — or was it a caged chicken? I saw an olive tree that had been shaken too often — or was it an ocean of corn planted too many times? I saw a field with nothing left to glean — or was it a factory where all the profits went to the CEO and stockholders?
Download